88: Summarizing & Note Taking

 

 

• Summarizing involves deleting, substituting, and keeping information
• The skills above require deep analysis of material
• Being aware of explicit structure of information helps with summarization (another reason to scaffold academic literacy)

• Rules-Based Strategies:
  • MODEL how to apply rules such as:
    • delete trivial info
    • delete redundant info
    • replace lists with grouping words that summarize lists
    • select or create topic sentences
  • Use Think Aloud strategy while modeling rules
• Summary Frames:
  • Series of questions that highlight critical elements for specific types of info
  • 6 Summary Frames – click here to see related questions
    • Narrative
    • Topic-Restriction-Illustration
    • Definition
    • Argumentation
    • Problem/Solution
    • Conversation
• Reciprocal teaching
  • Student arranged in teacher groups
  • Leader of group facilitates discussion in which students take a lesson or reading and
    • summarize the lesson/reading
    • question – ask questions about the lesson/reading
    • clarify – try to answer questions
    • predict – predict what they will learn or do next

• Verbatim note taking is the least effective method – recording everything makes it too hard to synthesize info
• Notes should be viewed as living documents
• Notes should be used as study guides for tests
• The more notes, the better

• Provide models – notes taken by teacher
• Present students with a variety of note-taking formats such as
  • Informal outline
    • subordinate ideas are more indented than big ideas
  • Webbing
    • sizes of circles represent relative importance of ideas
    • lines show relationships between ideas
  • Combinations
    • Combines webbing and informal outline (like a double entry journal)
      • left column = informal outline
      • right column = webbing
    • Also includes a horizontal strip at the bottom for summary statements

Summarizing and note taking are powerful learning strategies.  Often these skills are un-scaffolded student activities and expectations.  Teaching students how to summarize and take notes can help them become more independent learners.

• Pre-assess students’ note-taking and summarizing skills – identify their strengths and gaps
• Identify which strategies (see above) could enhance students’ summarizing and note taking skills
• Gather / prepare graphic organizers and visuals that go with selected strategies

• Model (use think aloud and graphic organizers) summarizing and/or note-taking strategies
• Give students opportunities to practice strategies

• Have students reflect on the impact different note-taking strategies are having on their learning
• Let students use their reflections to choose the most effective note-taking strategy that fits their learning style and preferences

• See Rigor articles